Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2007-08: Corban Knight appeared in four games for the Okotoks Oilers, scoring one goal. He spent most of the season with the UFA Bisons of the Alberta Midget Hockey League, leading that league in scoring with 65 points. He was named the MVP of the Mac’s AAA Midget Hockey tournament.

2008-09: Knight spent the season with the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL, scoring 34 goals and adding 38 assists to go along with 55 penalty minutes in 61 games. He was named the AJHL Rookie of the Year, and was on the South Division All-Star and All-Rookie teams. Knight committed to North Dakota (WCHA) for 2010-11. Knight was chosen at the 2009 NHL Draft in the fifth round, 135th overall, by the Florida Panthers.

2009-10: Knight began his college career a year earlier than expected when a roster spot opened in Grand Forks. He played in 37 games at the University of North Dakota as a freshman. He scored 6 goals with 7 assists and was +8 with 35 PIM as the Fighting Sioux finished fourth in the WCHA during the regular season. Knight missed time late in the season with an ankle injury but returned to contribute to North Dakota’s successful run in the WCHA tournament. Knight had a goal and an assist, both on the power play, in North Dakota’s 5-3 win over St. Cloud State in the WCHA Championship game.

2010-11: Knight was the second-leading scorer for North Dakota as a sophomore. He scored 14 goals with 30 assists and was +25 with 34 PMs in 44 games for the Fighting Sioux – who won the WCHA regular season and tournament championships. North Dakota advanced to the Frozen Four semifinals before falling to eventual runner-up Michigan, 2-0.

2011-12: Knight was the third-leading scorer for North Dakota in his junior season. He scored 16 goals with 24 assists and was plus-15 with 36 penalty minutes in 39 games. The Fighting Sioux finished fourth in the WCHA during the regular season and won the league’s Broadmoor Trophy after beating Minnesota and Denver on back-to-back nights in the WCHA tournament. Minnesota returned the favor a week later, defeating North Dakota in the NCAA West Regional final.

2012-13: Knight was the second-leading scorer for North Dakota as a senior; finishing with a career-high 49 points in 41 games. He scored 16 goals and led the Fighting Sioux with 33 assists and was +16 with 40 penalty minutes. North Dakota finished third in the WCHA and received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament after an overtime loss to Colorado College in a WCHA quarterfinal game. The Fighting Sioux defeated Niagara, 2-1, before falling to eventual national champion Yale, 4-1, in the NCAA West Regional final. Knight signed a two-year entry-level with Calgary in June, 2013.

2013-14: Knight made his NHL debut with the Flames on March 5th in a game against the Senators and skated in seven games before being returned to AHL affiliate Abbotsford. He had no points nor penalties with an even plus/minus, averaging 6:24 minutes of ice time in his time with Calgary. Knight skated in 70 regular season games for Abbotsford in his first pro season and was the club’s fourth-leading scorer. He scored 18 goals with 26 assists and was +11 with 50 penalty minutes. The Heat finished second in the West Division before losing to Grand Rapids in a first round series. In two playoff games Knight was -1 with 1 assist and 2 penalty minutes.

2014-15: Knight was re-acquired by the Panthers in a mid-season trade and fit in quite well with the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. In addition to providing toughness to the lineup, he managed to accumulate 24 points in 36 games. Before the trade, he appeared in two games with the Calgary Flames and also recorded 12 points in 22 games with their AHL affiliate in Adirondack.

2015-16: Knight played in 20 games with the Panthers in his first season in the Florida organization and played for the AHL’s Portland Pirates. Recalled by Florida in December, he scored 2 goals with 5 assists and was +3 with 4 penalty minutes, averaging 9:27 minutes of ice time, before being returned to the Pirates in early February. Knight scored 4 goals with 7 assists and was -11 with 8 penalty minutes in 33 regular season games for Portland. The Pirates finished fourth in the Atlantic Division, falling to Hershey in a first-round playoff series. Knight had 3 assists in five playoff games and was +1 with 6 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

Knight is a pest and the type of player against whom opponents hate to play. He skates extremely well and has a non-stop motor that takes him up and down the ice. He uses his body, his hands and his intelligence to sustain a constant attack against other team. Knight has the ability to handle the puck in traffic at high speeds, and he has a quick release, often getting a shot off while in tight quarters. Knight shows great patience and uses his size well to protect the puck or create space in front of the net.

Future

Knight played a career-high 20 games with the Panthers in 2015-16, spending most of the year with the AHL's Portland Pirates. A solid lower line forward, he will become an unrestricted free agent if not tendered a qualifying offer by Florida. The 25-year-old has limited offensive upside but would be an intriguing option for a team in need of forward help.